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Justice. Only Justice Shall Thou Pursue

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Veterans Day 2009

While Memorial Day is meant to remember the supreme sacrifice made by those in the US Armed Services who gave their lives, Veterans Day is a celebration of those who are currently serving or have served in the US Armed Services. November 11 was set as the Armistice day commemorating the end of the First World War, which was supposed to end all wars. In 1953, as a result of the massive mobilization of the US Armed Forces in fighting the Korean War, Congress amended the Armistice Day legislation to reflect Veterans Day. President Eisenhower issued the first Veterans Day proclamation.

It is a time to reflect on how we should honor these men and women who have done so much and asked for little in return.

On this Veterans Day, we should not only remember those who served and gave their all for this nation, but that we honor and remember the sacrifices made by those who continue serving today. It is through their blood, sweat, and tears, that this nation has survived bloody conflicts and become a beacon of freedom and liberty to all the world - a beacon that continues to provoke hostility and resentment because we represent what people aspire to have.

Iwo Jima Memorial at night. Taken March 2005.

Thank you to all who served!

And as many soldiers return home from duty, some find themselves less than whole after sustaining injuries in combat. For them, the road home is a long difficult struggle, and Project Valour-IT, a charity operated by Soldiers Angels has sought to help improve the quality of life by providing technology solutions.

Serve those who served, and Project Valour-IT is on a fundraising drive to provide laptops to assist wounded servicemembers.

Meanwhile, Google has again honored our Veterans, just as they did last year. For several years, the company's main page had no special logo to commemorate the day, but it's nice to see that they've found a way to honor the service of those who helped make it possible for the nation to survive and thrive. Bing and Ask.com have a stirring homepage image commemorating Veterans Day.